Shoe



C. MILLER March 22, 1938.

SHOE

Filed Jan. 7, 1935 ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 22, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHOE New York Application January 7, 1935, Serial No. 587

2 Claims.

l'he present invention relates to shoes and, more particularly, to low shoes.

In the manufacture of low shoes, especially higher grade ladies low shoes having high heels, it is very important to construct the shoe so that the top marginal edge of the heel portion of the upper should conform exactly to the corresponding portion of the last so that said portion of the upper in the finished shoe should fit, with a high degree of accuracy, the corresponding portion of the wearer's foot.

One object of the present invention is to provide a low shoe with an improved construction in the top marginal edge of the heel portion of the upper whereby to improve the fit of the heel portion of the shoe especially at said critical top marginal edge thereof.

Another purpose in constructing the upper marginal edge portion of the heel portion of the upper to conform accurately to the corresponding part of the last is to obtain an accurate location of said top marginal edge of the upper with respect to the forward edge of the upper at the shoe opening, especially in. shoes of the pump type, so that the shoe should fit the wearers foot properly and to'prevent the sides of the upper from spreading. This constitutes another object of the invention.

One of the factors which causes difficulty in accurately fitting the heel of the upper to the last for obtaining a well fitting shoe is the seam heretofore employed in uniting the rear ends of the quartersv of the upper. Another object, therefore, is to provide a low shoe with a quarter which is devoid of the usual seam at the aforesaid critical top marginal edge portion of the heel portion;

Another object of the invention is to reduce the thickness of the top marginal edge of the heel portion of the upper and to prevent wrinkles and bulges of the materials, including the shoe linings, at said portion.

A further object of the invention is to provide a low shoe with an improved anti-slip construction in the interior'heel portion of the upper.

A yet further object of the invention is generally to provide a low shoe which will fit well and which will retain its shape.

The above objects of the invention and other objects ancillary thereto will best be understood from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying drawing.

- In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a. shoe embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the shoe shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view of the rear portion of the upper in flattened condition taken from the interior of the shoe illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 with parts cut away to more clearly illustrate the present construction;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the quarter blank before the seam is formed;

Figs. 5 and 6 are enlarged sectional views on the lines 5-5 and 66, respectively, of Fig. 3;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary View, similar to Fig. 3, of another form of the invention; 7

Fig. 8 is a sectional View on the line 8- B of. Fig. 7.

Referring first to the construction illustrated in Figs. '1 to 6, the shoe as here shown is a low shoe of the pump type and comprises an upper which includes a vampylll and a rear quarter 12 united with the vamp 10 by stitching along lines ll, an outsole I l, and a heel H3. The quarter-is a unitary piece extending from one side of the shoe across the heel to the other side of the shoe, and comprises two similar portions I3 united by a seam 18 which extends above the heel seat of the shoe to a point spaced from the top edge 20, and an undivided top marginal portion 2| integral with said side. portions I3.

Referring to Fig. 4, the side portions I3 of the quarter l2, in its condition prior to the formation of the seam l8, have confronting convexly curved edges l3a disposed in diverging relation from the are preferably adhesively united throughout'their contiguous surfaces. When the seam I8 is formed the rear of the quarter is curved to conform to the heel of the wearer. A cover strip 26 is applied over the seam. 18 to provide a smooth surface. This strip may consist of textile material and is preferably adhesively secured in position. As shown said cover strip extends beyond the upp r end of the seam It to the edge 20 of the quarter.

A leather lining 28, which as here shown, may be part of the vamp lining, is divided centrally at the rear portion and the lower rear portion of said lining is removed providing spaced confronting edges 38 extending to a point about midway between the upper end of the seam l8 and the upper edge 20 of the quarter 12. The edges 30 are preferably curved, having a double curvature as shown, whereby the lower portions thereof will be disposed in relatively close relation in the shoe and the upper portions thereof will be spaced so as to reduce the thickness of the rear of the quarter in the region indicated by the numeral 32, that is, above the seam I8, thus providing more room for the Wearers heel at the part of maximum curvature and thereby improving the fit of the heel portion of the shoe on the wearers foot at the heel thereof. The meeting edges of lining 28 above the cutaway portion 32 outlined by said curved edges 39 are united by a fine butt seam 34 which eliminates any bulging portion in the area of the quarter portion 21. An apron 36 which is preferably of very thin leather is disposed between the linings 22 and 28 in the area of the upper quarter portion 2| and extends from the edge 20 to a point spaced from the upper end of the seam I 8. This apron overlies the overlapping edges of the vamp l and quarter I2, the stitching II at said edges, and the cover strip 26 and thereby aids in forming a smooth surface behind said lining 28 in the area of the upper quarter portion 2|.

An anti-slip member 38 consisting of a piece of soft upper leather with the flesh side thereof uppermost or exposed is disposed at the central rear portion of the quarter i2 and is attached thereto by the upper line of stitching 48 which passes through the upper edges of the lining 2B, the apron 36, and the cover strip 26. The winged upper portions 39 and the central upper portion 43 of the member 38 are secured by intermediate lines of stitching 4i and edge lines of stitching 42 to the lining 28 only, and the portion 44 of the anti-slip member 38 below the winged portions 39 are, prior to being incorporated in a shoe, free from stitching or direct attachment to the quarter I 2 and the linings 22 and 28. It will be noticed also that the apron is stitched or secured only at its upper edge to the edge 20 of the quarter and that the rear central portion of the lining 28 overlapped by the anti-slip member 38 is stitched to the quarter only at said edge 20. Thus the several layers of material are free to arrange themselves in proper relation to obviate the formation of wrinkles or folds in said layers of material.

In the construction illustrated in Figs. '7 and 8, the apron 36 is omitted, lining 28a, which is otherwise the same as the lining 28 is provided with confronting edges 380. which are spaced from each other for the full extent thereof, and the anti-slip member 38a is stitched thereto by the top line of stitching 40a, which secures these parts and the textile lining 22a to the top edge 20a of the quarter 12a, and by the edge lines of stitching 41a which are confined to the winged portions 39a and the top portion 43a of the antislip member and the underlying portions of the lining 28a. The quarter l2a is otherwise of the same construction including the seam l3a similar to the seam l8 and the cover strip 26d similar to the cover strip 25.

While I have shown the preferred embodiments of the invention, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to these embodiments and that the constructions shown may be varied. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited to the constructions illustrated herein, except as may be required by the appended claims and the prior art.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A low shoe comprising an upper having a quarter formed of an integral piece of material extending from one side of the shoe around the rear tothe other side of the shoe, the portion of said quarter extending around the rear comprising a lower interiorly seamed portion extending above the heel seat of the shoe and an upper portion integral with the sides extending upwardly beyond said seamed portion, said upper having a lining terminating in spaced heel portions overlying said lower quarter portion, and a member overlying said spaced rear portions of the lining.

2. In a low shoe, an upper having a quarter portion, a lining for the shoe secured to said upper and terminating in spaced confronting edges disposed at the rear of the quarter portion, said confronting edges being relatively widely spaced in the region of the rear of the quarter portion substantially midway between the heel seat and the top edge of the quarter forming a cut-out, the edges of the lining being stitched together above said cut-out, and a lay-er of material overlying the confronting edge portions of the lining and stitched thereto above said cut-out.

CHARLES MILLER. 

